This invention is a toy which launches parachutes from a kite. A toy parachute is attached to the launcher and wind blowing into the open parachute pulls the launcher and parachute up the kite line until the launcher comes into contact with a cork trip placed on the line just below the kite. The parachute is released from the launcher upon contact with the cork. The launcher, which contains a place to add additional weight, then slides back down the line and is ready for a new parachute. There are several other parachute launchers on the market today, but all have a common problem with releasing the parachute permaturely due to wind surging into the open canopy of the chute. This launcher's unique trip mechanism and the variable weight make it an improvement over the existing launchers.
An example of other launchers known to the art is Morris U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,807 which is similar to the present invention but is deficient in two major areas. First, the movable member which forms a part of the release mechanism and holds the parachute in place contains no corresponding biasing means. In practice, wind surging into the open canopy of the parachute pulls open the movable member, thus releasing the parachute prior to contact with the cork trip. Second, the release mechanism does not contain any place to add weight. In practice, the release mechanism will slide up the kite string but because it is so light will not slide back down. The present application has corrected these deficiencies. An elastic biasing means holds the movable member in place and will only release the parachute upon contact with the cork trip. In addition, there is a capped hollow into which can be placed weights, such as lead shot or BB's, which add sufficient weight to the release mechanism so that it will slide back down the line holding the kite.
Four other patents show similar devices but are also deficient for the reasons given for the Morris patent: Haight U.S. Pat. No. 1,484,775; Peterson U.S. Pat. No. 1,844,594; Droullard U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,751; and Sulger U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,488.